well rehab

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ws9876
ws9876 Solar Expert Posts: 440 ✭✭✭
in Solar Water Pumping #1
I have concerns about my well and would like to hire a well company to pull up all the well line,
clean the well and install a new super efficient pump and line. I have the basic black pipe that is usally installed.I would like the most health benign
kind of plastic pipe and a really good pump. I am looking for suggestions. My setup is grid 240
off the panel mains but if possible I would like to set it up so I can run it in the future off a battery/inverter setup. Any ideas..??? I would buy a new presuure tank also if there is a super efficient one that would go good with my ideas. I have the Franklin pump and Flotec pressure tank.
I basically want a super green, non toxic, high quality setup. I thought I would like to keep the systems separate but it really makes more sense to grid tie it.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: well rehab
    ws9876 wrote: »
    I have concerns about my well and would like to hire a well company to pull up all the well line,
    clean the well and install a new super efficient pump and line. I have the basic black pipe that is usally installed.I would like the most health benign
    kind of plastic pipe and a really good pump. I am looking for suggestions. My setup is grid 240
    off the panel mains but if possible I would like to set it up so I can run it in the future off a battery/inverter setup. Any ideas..??? I would buy a new presuure tank also if there is a super efficient one that would go good with my ideas. I have the Franklin pump and Flotec pressure tank.
    I basically want a super green, non toxic, high quality setup. I thought I would like to keep the systems separate but it really makes more sense to grid tie it.

    Really this is 2 problems, tackle one at a time.
    1) rehab the well with the greenest products you can use for a reasonable cost.
    Find the electrical loads you want to support then:
    2) look at a grid tie or grid tie hybrid for the electrical needs.
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  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    #3
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    Re: well rehab

    One of the problems you could encounter with a battery based system is the high startup current of the pump. To avoid this you could go for the expensive but apparently high quality Grundfos SQFlex series of pumps - or the similar Lorentz pumps.

    Alternatively, you could get a 3 phase pump and a variable frequency drive (VFD) that converts the 240V single phase input into 3 phase 240V for the pump. This is the route I took with my setup and I'm quite happy with it. The advantages are:
    - 3 phase pump is usually slightly cheaper than single
    - 3 phase pump is more reliable as there's no startup capacitor to fail
    - With a VFD the pump's life is further extended because you can ramp up the startup time over a longer period. Mine's configured to go from 0 to 50Hz in 20 seconds.... that's a long and leisurely process with a lot less stress on the motor.
    - No inrush current.

    There are VFD's available that are specifically designed for water pumps and will regulate the speed of the pump based on the water pressure. This might be useful to you since you seem to be supplying domestic water directly from the well pump. Expect to pay more than a regular VFD.
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